AGARTALA, August 12 (TIWN): Just after 24 hours passed by with Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar admitted in the ongoing monsoon assembly session that so far at least three farmers were recorded committed suicide, he had come out playing very wise saying, “There is no report of farmers’ suicide in the state as compared to other states in the nation.” The statement has come up just after Sarkar was being asked the reason for the suicides.Talking to the media persons on Tuesday at the secretariat Sarkar said, “There is no report of farmers’ suicide in the state as compared to other states in the nation.”Just after the assembly session was being informed recently that the state government has recorded at least three suicides being committed by the farmers Chief Minister Manik Sarkar acting wise with the media persons had clarified that the farmers who committed suicide were not deprived from the government’s aide.Sarkar told media, “All the three farmers who were reported committed suicide were suffering from illness whereas another who was tempted towards consuming alcohol had committed suicide as he was drunk".

He said, “Of the three one Nripesh Debnath resident of Ganganagar Rajkandi area had committed suicide as he was drunk and another Amar Chand De, resident of Kumarghat Krishnanagar who was also reported committed suicide had consumed poison to get rid of his illness.”

Adding to that Sarkar also clarified that another Umesh Nath, resident of South Ganganagar of the three farmers had also committed suicide as he was suffering from mental disorder.

However, later praising the state government’s role towards offering assistance to the state farmers Sarkar on Tuesday told media persons, “The state government has always been a good helping hand towards providing all aides to the state farmers, therefore the farmers in the state are not deprived from any government’s assistance till today unlike other states of the country.”

Illuminating how the state government was protecting the agriculture sector in Tripura Sarkar said despite lack of support from the Centre, the state government was improving irrigation and making it incumbent upon nationalised, local and regional banks to issue Kisan credit cards for farmers, offering support prices and purchasing agricultural produce at remunerative prices.

"No farmer suicide has ever happened in Tripura and we will ensure that it never happens," said Sarkar being wise with the media persons on Tuesday despite the fact that the state had so far recorded three farmers’ suicide as per the government records being informed in the ongoing monsoon assemble session.

It is to be mentioned here that according to the report the three farmers who were recorded committed suicide were deprived from the government’s aide following which their production in the agricultural land had come down and as a result they had committed suicide.

And despite the fact Sarkar is in opinion that more than three lakh farmers have committed suicide across the country, mainly in the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka after the Narendra Modi-led government came to power.

The crisis in the vital agricultural sector of the day is worsening by the day as farmers are leaving their traditional profession to make a beeline for urban centres in search of livelihood, Sarkar said.